Dental emergencies don’t happen too often, but when they do, immediate action is necessary. If your teeth are in pain, you should try to see a dentist as soon as possible. Many dentists will see you during evenings and on weekends for emergencies.

Common emergency dental problems include broken teeth, abnormal swelling, and serious toothache.

Broken or Fractured Tooth:

If you have a broken tooth or tooth fracture, you should contact an emergency dentist as soon as possible. If the tooth is knocked out, place it in a glass of milk immediately, and there is a good chance the dentist will be able to re-implant it. Milk provides a moist and nourishing environment for the tooth until it is re-implanted. Try not to touch the root portion of the tooth.

The tooth has the greatest chance of survival if it is re-implanted within thirty minutes.

Swelling:

Tooth swelling or abscess is usually a result of tooth decay. Trauma to the tooth may also be the cause, such as when a tooth is chipped or broken. This is due to openings in the tooth enamel, which allow bacteria to reach the pulp (the center of the tooth), leading to infection. If left untreated, infection can spread out to the bones surrounding the infected tooth.

If you have swelling or an abscess accompanied by a fever, contact your dentist as soon as possible. While waiting until Monday may seem considerate, it usually makes it harder to treat the problem.

Toothache:

A serious toothache can be caused by many different things. Sometimes the nerve is dying, and you will need to have a root canal. Other times, you may have a gum abscess, and an antibiotic will quickly solve the problem.

Whatever the cause, your dentist will need to see you and take a mouth x-ray to determine what the cause is. Call your dentist when you have a toothache and let him take you out of pain - before it gets worse!

Dr Haddon Suttner (DMD) has his own dental practice in Bondi Beach, Sydney. He is always on-call for emergency dental procedures.

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